Pushing up Daisies
by Babefan2019
Summary: When a distraction job goes wrong, Stephanie pays the price. But it may cost Ranger the most in the end. I'm marking this COMPLETE for now. I can't decide if I want to do more chapters, a sequel, or just let them live HEA.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He stood in the shadows watching her through the window of the diner. It was past the dinner hour and the rush was behind her. Not that the rush was that big, but she was kept busy for a couple of hours waiting on both the counter and the five tables in the diner. Her movements were practiced and smooth as if she had been doing this for a while now. He wondered how long she had been here and how she had ended up waiting tables in a little diner in the middle of nowhere. Even without any training or resources, she had managed to elude him for over a year. It was only by chance that the facial recognition software he had been running nonstop for thirteen months happened to pick her up on a security feed for a national chain store. Once he had identified a start point, he began in depth searches of all video feeds, and kept a constant monitor on any place where she might have to show an ID, including car rentals, hotels, hospitals, and even libraries within a hundred mile radius of the chain store. His resources were beyond those of most governments, and he had been using all of them to find her.

As he watched her, his training automatically kicked in. Without conscious thought he started assessing her. She had tried to tame her unruly curls in a loose braid down the back of her head. But, like the woman herself, her hair refused to conform and showed a mind of its own as the curls escaped the braid to frame her face. She smiled easily at the customers as she went about her work. He remembered how her beautiful blue eyes lit up when she smiled at him. As he watched and remembered, she suddenly stopped and turned to look directly at the shadows in which he stood. There was no way she could see him, but somehow, she knew he was there. No surprise, they had always had a connection that defied explanation. She had accused him of being able to read her mind, but it was more than that. It was ironic that two people who were so in tune with each other could never learn to actually communicate.

When he walked through the door of the diner there was no look of surprise on her face. She knew. She had felt the familiar tingle at the back of her neck that told her he was near. She was just glad she had time to compose her facial expression in the few moments between the time she felt him and the time he walked in through the door. Without saying a word, he walked by her and sat down at the booth against the back wall. Even though her back was to him, he could see her steeling herself to confront him. He saw her draw in a deep breath and square her shoulders before turning around and walking back to his table. She was never one to back down from a confrontation. It was one of the things he loved about her.

"What will it be?" she asked in a neutral tone. He noticed he didn't get the smile the other customers had received. In fact, he noticed a lot about her in those first few seconds. Her expressive blue eyes held no expression. Her make-up was minimal and she hadn't gone to great lengths to disguise the scar running down the left side of her face. Her face was thinner and there were dark circles under her eyes. She looked like she didn't eat or sleep much. There seemed to be a haunted quality to her.

All of these thoughts went through his brain in a nanosecond and he responded to her question with one of his own.

"What time are you off?"

Before she answered a voice in the back called "Order up!" and she turned and walked away without saying a word. She was occupied for several minutes delivering orders and cashing customers out. While she worked he continued to watch her. From his closer vantage point he could see the smile she gave to the customers never reached her eyes. She was friendly and obviously known to the regulars. He could hear her interactions with the customers and the friendly banter that went back and forth. A couple of the guys did a little flirting as she handed them their check. She managed to head off their advances in a playful way that left them smiling.

When she was finished with the customers at the cash register, she returned to his table with a cup of coffee and a glass of water. She knew he was not going to leave until she agreed to speak with him and she didn't want to make a scene by insisting that he leave.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I'll have a chicken Caesar salad with dressing on the side." That wasn't what she was asking and they both knew it, but now was not the time. The corners of his mouth tipped up just the tiniest bit as she rolled her eyes at his deflection. Without another word, she walked back to the order window and put in his order.

As he continued to watch her, he thought back to what had brought them to this hole in the wall diner in Nowhere, USA.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Sixteen months earlier_

Stephanie heard the locks tumble on her door as she was putting on the finishing touches to this evening's distraction outfit. The halter top had a deep cowl neckline that further highlighted her Victoria's Secrets enhanced assets. The short denim skirt was only a couple of inches past indecent exposure and if she dropped anything tonight, it was going to have to stay on the floor or the whole world would see the black lace thong she was wearing. Her four inch wedge sandals only accentuated long smooth legs that seemed to go on forever. The messy, just fucked hair and slut makeup were just right for the look she was going for on this job.

As she walked out of the bedroom and into the living room she rummaged through the hobo bag she was taking to make sure she had her pepper spray and stun gun just in case. She glanced up at Ranger and started to say hello but the words caught in her throat at the look of pure hunger on his face. His chocolate eyes were dilated to black and the expression on his face could only be described as feral.

Suddenly feeling either brave or foolish, Stephanie smiled and wet her glossy lips with the tip of her tongue. "Howdy stranger. Come here often?" she asked, in what she thought could pass for a sultry voice. Before she knew it, Ranger had engulfed her and backed her up against the wall. His hard thigh was pressed between her legs and there wasn't room for a piece of paper between their bodies. Then, with agonizing slowness, he lowered his mouth to hers and began to kiss her. The kiss was gentle at first, but then his tongue urged her mouth open and he began to consume her. When they finally came up for air, Stephanie realized she was grinding herself against his thigh. If the kiss had lasted just a few more seconds she would have completely embarrassed herself with a Ranger thigh induced orgasm.

"Playing with fire, Babe."

With that, he slowly pulled away and pulled out the small case containing the wire Stephanie would wear for tonight's distraction. Stephanie held out her hand for the wire but he just gave her a small smile and moved closer. His hands slipped up under the front of her shirt to place the wire under her Victoria given talents. Once the wire was placed, he ran his thumb across her taut nipple before lazily trailing his fingertips down her abdomen. The light touch reignited the fires that were just starting to die down from the earlier kiss. He gave her one more quick kiss and said "Let's roll."

Victor Konner had been arrested for sexually assaulting two separate women on the same night. The first woman had been raped at knife point while her three year-old slept in the next room. Fortunately, Victor had not known the little girl was in the next room or the whole nightmare would have been even worse. The woman was afraid to fight or make a noise and wake up her daughter. The lack of resistance left Victor feeling unsatisfied, so he made sure his next victim gave him the satisfaction of fighting and screaming as he worked his "magic" on her with both ends of a 10" hunting knife. How someone as deprived and dangerous as Victor Konner was ever released on bail was beyond belief, but it happened. Victor had violated his bail and now Rangeman about to bring the scumbag back into the system.

The Black Hole was a dive bar near the docks in Newark where Victor liked to hang out, drink beer and shoot pool. The team from Rangeman met up at a warehouse near the docks to set-up for the take down. The plan was to have Lester and Hector inside before Stephanie entered. Ranger and Tank would be in front, Ram and Hal would be in back. Because they hadn't been able to get a man in place behind the bar, Stephanie would stick to bottled beer to lessen the chance of being drugged. As Ranger finished reviewing the plan he caught Steph's eye. She was chewing on her lower lip like she did when she was worried.

"What is it, Babe?"

"I'm not sure. My spidey sense is going spastic but I think it's just nerves. This guy is a monster and I want him off the streets before he can cause any more harm."

Les through an arm over her shoulder and gave her a quick hug. "Don't worry, Beautiful. We've got your six."

As the teams headed out, Ranger and Steph slipped into the black Ford F150 they had driven up from Trenton. They drove the short distance to the parking lot beside the bar and parked in the far corner where the street lights didn't reach. He gave her a questioning look and she gave him a small smile and nodded her head. She was ready. "Go get em, Tiger."

As Steph entered the bar she was struck but the overwhelming smell of stale beer and stale bodies. Hector was over near the pool table watching the game and drinking a beer. Les was hunched on a bar stool at the corner of the bar, sitting at an angle so he could see down the length of the bar and into the pool area. Stephanie walked to the middle of the bar and settled herself onto the barstool before turning to the bartender and ordering a beer. The bartender's eyes started at the tips of her toes and traveled up the length of her endless legs before finally reaching her face. He knew there was no way in hell a girl like that comes into a Hole like this one and knew this would mean trouble. He popped the cap off her beer and set it on the bar in front of her.

"Whatever you're looking for, it isn't here. Drink your beer and then leave before your night gets extremely ugly."

Stephanie raised her beer and tipped it in the direction of the bartender to acknowledge his warning. As she sat at the bar, she watched her target in the mirror behind the bar. In the mirror, Stephanie saw when the target noticed her at the bar. He had just finished his game of pool and his beer at the same time and was making his way over towards the bar. She did her best to keep from tensing up, but she couldn't help but jump when Victor laid his hand on her back.

"Bartender, I'll take another draft and one for the lady as well."

Stephanie turned her barstool to subtly remove his hand from her back and gave him a bright, fake smile. "Thank you. I'm Steph."

"How about I just call you Gorgeous? I'm Victor. What is an angel like you doing in a hell hole like this?"

"I was supposed to meet some friends at some rave club down by the docks but could never find the party so I thought I'd stop in for a quick drink before I head home. All dressed up and nowhere to go wasn't working for me. I came out looking to party so now I'm just looking in a different spot."

Victor smiled at that. "I know where we can find a party like you've never experienced before," he said with a smirk. It was all Stephanie could do not to cringe as Victor lightly stroked her bare arm with his fingertips. Stephanie wondered how any woman would ever fall for a line like that but gave Victor another bright smile.

"Count me in. Let's get out of here and start having a night to remember." As Stephanie slid off the stool, Victor put his hand on the small of her back and started directing her toward the back door.

"Why are we going this way?"

"My car is parked out back so I don't have to worry about any of the drunk fucks ramming into it when they pour themselves out of the bar."

Before they got to the back door, Victor suddenly pushed Stephanie through an open door to the left, out of sight from the bar. Before she realized what was happening, Victor had her shoved up face first against the wall with his hand over her mouth and nose and a knife held tight against her face. As he leaned his body against her she could feel his excitement building as he ground himself into her backside. He very quietly whispered in her ear. "I know who you are Miss Bounty Hunter bitch. How stupid do you think I am? I also know you are wired and your boyfriends are listening, so I'll make this fast. This is just a taste of what I'm going to do to you when we have some time alone to party." With those words, he dug the knife into the side of her face. Stephanie screamed into his hand as the blade sliced through her cheek and hit bone.

When the feed from Stephanie's wire got quiet, Ranger barked into the comm "Report". Lester answered "They headed out toward the back exit." Ram responded "They have not come out the back." As soon as they heard that, Lester and Hector ran for the back exit.

"We need medical. Steph's down. There is an open window in the store room that he must have escaped through. The bastard has a knife. Watch your backs."

Even as Lester finished his sentence, Ranger was coming through the door. He knelt down beside Stephanie to determine how badly she was hurt. Finding only the injury on her face, he was relieved that she was alive and wasn't going to die because he had fucked up and let her get hurt. He listened to the search for Victor through his ear piece as he tried to wake Stephanie up. It didn't sound like Victor had knocked her unconscious, but she could have hit her head when she passed out from the pain. He felt around her scalp as best as he could without touching her damaged cheek and discovered an egg sized knot on the side of her head.

Tank showed up beside him with the first aid kit from his car. Ranger waved smelling salts beneath her nose and Stephanie startled awake.

"Shhh, lay still. I've got you. You're safe. You've got a cut on your face and probably have a concussion from hitting your head when you passed out but other than that, you're ok." Ranger didn't want to tell her the cut on her face was down to the bone and that she would most likely need plastic surgery to repair the damage Victor had done.

"Did you get the bastard?" Tank asked.

"Not yet. He slipped out through this window but they're hunting him now. He won't get far."

The bartender came through the door and turned white at the sight of Stephanie laying with her face in a pool of blood. "You're better off loading her up and driving her to the hospital if you can. Emergency services don't make us a priority, if they come at all."

Ranger nodded to acknowledge what the bartender had said and began to make a compress with the sterile gauze from the kit. He gently rotated Stephanie's head until she was laying on her undamaged right cheek and used the sterile pad to push the flap of skin back over her left cheek. He used surgical tape to secure the gauze to her face before trying to move her.

"I'm going to pick you up and carry you out to the truck. I'm going to be as careful as I can but it may hurt when I start moving you. Just hang on, Babe," and with that, he slowly lifted her and carried her as gently as possible out through the back door where someone had moved his truck. He slid into the passenger side holding Stephanie carefully on his lap as Tank jumped into the driver's side and spun gravel as he took off into the night.

The hospital in Newark was similar to St. Francis, the hospital where Stephanie's misadventures usually landed her. The only difference was that the nurses in Newark didn't know the Rangeman guys were considered family, which created a bit of confusion about who exactly was allowed back into her room to see her as she was waiting to be seen. Whether it was out of fear or lust, the duty nurse finally allowed Ranger to go back to Stephanie's room to check on her. She was resting with her eyes closed when Ranger silently enter her room. He made a small noise so he wouldn't startle her. Stephanie slowly opened her eyes and tried to bring his beautiful face into focus, but that was proving to be more challenging that it should be.

"Yo." she said softly.

"Yo yourself. How are you doing?"

"I want to get stitched up and go home. I hate hospitals but at least in Trenton I know the nurses. Here I've got no leverage."

"You'll be going home soon, but it will probably be a couple of days before they release you. The doctor will want to monitor you for concussion. I'll get you out of here just as soon as I can."

Just then, the doctor came into the room and looked from Stephanie to Ranger. "Good evening. I'm Dr. Simons and I'm going to take a look at that cut and get you stitched up. I'm guessing the lady in the bed is Ms Plum so you must be Mr. Plum?" he said looking at Ranger.

A very unladylike snort escaped from Stephanie as Ranger replied "Please call me Carlos." without correcting the doctor of his incorrect assumption.

"Ok, Carlos. I'm going to be suturing your wife in just a few minutes when the nurse arrives with the suture kit. I'd like to ask you to wait out in the lounge and I'll send someone out to find you once we are done."

He didn't want to leave Stephanie, but he knew it would only delay her treatment if he tried to stay. When the nurse came through the door with the kit, he bent down and gave Stephanie a kiss on the top of her curls and said "I'll see you soon."

When he returned to the waiting room, he found Tank, Lester and Hector in the room. Hector handed Ranger her bag just as her cell phone sounded. Ranger pulled it out and saw the cop had called and texted her repeatedly. Just then, Ranger's cell chirped. Knowing who was calling, Ranger said nothing as he picked up the call.

"Where the fuck is Stephanie?" Morelli demanded angrily.

"We are at St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark. Steph was hurt in the take down and is getting stitched up now. They are going to keep her at least overnight, possibly two."

Morelli disconnected without another word. Ranger turned to his men and barked "Report."

Tank spoke up immediately. "Victor Konner was located a couple of blocks from the bar and taken into custody. He is in rough shape but should survive the trip back to Trenton with Hal and Ram."

What was left unsaid was the damage that had been inflicted on Victor when he was located was permanent, and he would never be hurting Stephanie or any other woman again.

The waiting room was quiet as each of the Rangemen went into their zone. Nothing more was said until Joe Morelli walked into the waiting room an hour later. He stalked over to Ranger and growled "You fucking psycho. What did you do to her?"

Ranger remained completely still without showing a bit of emotion, just staring back at Joe. Only someone who knew Ranger understood how much danger Joe Morelli was currently in. If Ranger lost control now, Joe would be dead. Tank spoke softly from the side "Joe, I know you're angry but you really need to take a step back. Steph is going to be ok. She has a cut on her face that is being stitched up now and has a concussion from hitting the floor when she passed out."

Thankfully, the nurse came into the room and distracted Joe from Ranger. She informed them that Stephanie had been moved to a private room and that her husband could go in to see her for just a few minutes now, and they were all welcome to come back in the morning when visiting hours started at 8:00 am. As soon as Joe heard that he spun around towards Ranger with disbelief on his face.

"Husband?"

Ranger turned and silently followed the nurse from the room while Tank was left to deal with the cop. They took the elevator up to the sixth floor and the nurse led him down the corridor to Steph's room. She was lying in bed with the left side of her face heavily bandaged.

"Because of the concussion, we aren't able to give her more than Tylenol for the pain. Once she has been cleared by the doctor, we will be able to give her something to be more comfortable while the laceration heals. The doctor will be in to speak with you in the morning if you have any questions. Please keep it brief."

As the nurse left the room, he bent over and kissed the top of her curls. He pulled a chair up close to the bed and took her hand in his. Stephanie stirred at his touch and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

"Did you find him?" she asked.

"Yes, my men found and neutralized him. He's still alive but won't be able to hurt anyone ever again."

"That's good to hear. He promised me this was just a taste of what he was going to do to me when we had more time to 'party'. How bad is it?"

"We won't know until it has had time to heal. The cut was clean so the scarring should be fairly smooth. However, it was deep. Until it heals, there is no way of knowing. If you decide you want to have plastic surgery on the scar, we will find you the best surgeon available. But don't worry about that now. You will always be beautiful, Babe. A scar isn't going to change that."

Stephanie lay there silently for a while and enjoyed the feeling of Ranger's hand in hers. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, only to be rudely awakened a few hours later while the nurse ran her through the concussion protocol. At first Stephanie thought Ranger had left, but as soon as the nurse left the room he moved out of the corner where he had been standing in the shadows. Stephanie smiled at the thought of Batman watching over her while she slept. Because it was so late by the time she had been placed in a room, the sun was up the next time she was awakened. Apparently Batman had an aversion to sunlight because he was not lurking in the shadows this time. However, he did reappear a short time after the nurse left with coffee and a contraband Boston cream donut.

"I thought you could use a bit of cheering up this morning."

Stephanie stared at the donut trying to figure out how she was going to eat. Because of the stitches and dressings on her face, she was only able to open her mouth a tiny way. Certainly not enough to shove a donut in. Ranger was using his ESP and pulled a knife and fork out of the donut bag. He set the donut on a napkin and cut it into tiny pieces. He then dipped each piece in the creamy custard before gently feeding it to her. The whole process was strangely intimate and Stephanie felt herself starting to get emotional. Obviously the events of the prior evening were starting to catch up.

Just as Ranger fed her the last bite of donut, there was a sharp rap on the door and Joe walked in. Ranger gathered up the trash from her breakfast, gave her hand a squeeze and said "Babe." Then he walked out of the room without saying a word to Joe.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Joe stood at the foot of her bed with a pained look on his face. She could tell he was fighting to control himself as he ran his hands through his hair and over his unshaven face. He looked like he had slept in the clothes he was wearing. When he finally spoke, Stephanie cringed at the anger in his voice.

"How many times have I told you that psycho will get you killed? A hundred? Two hundred? And you refused to listen. You thought Ranger would always protect you from the danger he was putting you in. God knows you find plenty of danger on your own, you certainly don't need his help finding it. Now look at you. Scarred for life, lucky to even be alive. What were you thinking? What was he thinking? What the fuck is going on with you two? You are engaged to be engaged to me. Maybe it's time to make this real. Really be engaged with a wedding date set. Maybe then you'll finally leave this dangerous life behind and settle down once we're official. Is that what it will take?"

Stephanie's eyes went wide when she heard Joe mentioned being engaged. Was that supposed to be a marriage proposal? When he paused to take a breath Stephanie held up her hand to stop him and spoke softly.

"Joe, I'm not going to do this with you right now. First of all, you have no right to stand over my hospital bed yelling at me. Secondly, my face is killing me. Plus, with the stitches and bandages, I can barely open my mouth to speak, so fighting with you is really not a priority for me right now. Lastly, I have no desire to be engaged or set a wedding date with you. We are engaged to be engaged because neither one of us is able to commit to the other. Taking it further just seems like a recipe for disaster."

"Do you love me Stephanie?"he asked suddenly.

"Of course. I've loved you forever."

"But are you in love with me like you are with Ranger?"

Stephanie lay silently, not knowing if she was ready to answer Joe's question given her current circumstances. She knew the answer was no. She loved Joe because he was familiar and comfortable. He was also willing to offer what she thought she would eventually want. But she was in love with Ranger, a man whose lifestyle didn't lend itself to relationships, whose love came with a condom, not a ring but who loved her-in his own way. Definitely not the kind of life she had been raised to believe a good Catholic girl from the Burg should want.

Taking her silence for the answer that it was, Joe said "Never mind. You've answered my question with your silence. Now I understand why you would never commit to me. You love me, but you're in love with him. Good luck with that, Cupcake. He will never be able to give you the kind of life you could have with me. I was offering you a husband and children, family and a home. He is offering you a chance to dress like a whore and get knifed. Someday, when he gets sick and tired of saving your ass you'll figure that out. Then who's going to save you?"

Joe finished spewing his venom and walked over to the window. As he moved to the side Stephanie saw Ranger standing in the corner as he had done last night when the nurse was in the room. He was wearing his blank face and Stephanie had no idea what was going through his mind as she all but admitted to being in love with him. Ranger didn't say a word, just silently moved out through the door and into the corridor. Joe never knew he was there and Stephanie wondered if Ranger had just walked out of her life.

The rest of the day was filled with a parade of doctors, nurses and visitors. The rest of the team from last night came to check on her and to apologize for letting her get hurt. Lester and Hector were especially upset because they had been in the bar to protect her. She told them again and again that she was going to be okay and that there was nothing to forgive. They were all doing their jobs, things just go FUBAR sometimes. As the day wore on and Ranger still had not returned, Stephanie began to worry that he wasn't coming back.

The doctor stopped by in the late afternoon to say they were going to discharge Stephanie in the morning. They wanted to keep her one more night to continue antibiotics through her IV and then she could go home and follow up with her own doctor. The doctor also told her they were going to give her pain meds so she could finally get some rest. While Stephanie hated the way the pain medication made her feel all loopy, she was exhausted from dealing with the pain and emotions and welcomed the chance to sleep. As she drifted off, Stephanie swore she could smell Bulgari green in her room.

To Stephanie's surprise, Ranger was there to take her home the next morning. After receiving all the discharge instructions and cautions for watching for infections, Stephanie was wheeled out to the valet entrance and helped into Ranger's Cayenne. The pain medications were still making her sleepy so Steph leaned her head against the passenger side window and slept the entire way back to Trenton. When she awoke she was surprised to find herself at the building on Hayward instead of her apartment.

"Why are we here? I don't want everyone to see me all bandaged up like a mummy. I just want to go home and check on Rex, get into my jammies and veg out with Ghostbusters."

Not saying anything, Ranger got out and walked around to open her door and offered her a hand to help her out.

"We are here so I can make sure you are taken care of. Bobby will be able to dress your wound and monitor it for infection. Rex is already upstairs. Ella was taking care of him while you were in the hospital. I have plenty of t-shirts you can wear as jammies and there are brand new DVDs of both the original Ghostbusters movie and the remake. I also have several action films, as well as chick flicks and princess movies in case you want something different."

Stephanie was stunned. Not only had he anticipated everything he knew she would want, but that also the longest continuous statement she could ever remember him making. She was too tired to fight about it and he did have the best sheets she had ever slept in, so she decided to concede this battle and save her energy for the battle she knew was coming soon. Sooner or later, Ranger was going to want to know if what Joe said was true and Stephanie knew she wouldn't be able to lie to him.

Ranger helped her undress and slip into one of his t-shirts. He pulled back the million thread count sheets on the cloud he called a bed and she slid in with a sigh.

"Ella has brought up some chicken soup. Get comfortable and I'll bring you some lunch and then you can rest."

When he returned, he was carrying a bed tray with soup, fresh baked bread and a bottle of water. Her pain pills were also on the tray. Once she had eaten as much as she could, Ranger handed her two tablets along with the bottle of water. The whole side of her head ached but especially her cheek. Eating had irritated the stitches and they were starting to hurt. She laid back into the soft pillows and waited for the medication to start working. As she started to drift off, she felt the bed sink and Ranger's warm body curl up against her back. His arm came around her and he pulled her close.

As Stephanie slowly came awake she was disoriented for a moment. She was alone in Ranger's bed and it was dark out. She slipped out of bed and used the bathroom before grabbing Ranger's bathrobe out of his walk-in closet on her way back out. The light was on in his home office but she didn't want to disturb him so she made her way out to the kitchen. She tapped on the glass aquarium to say hello to Rex and then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. As she contemplated what to do next, Ranger walked out of his office.

"Bobby will be up after dinner to check your sutures and change the dressing. I've asked Ella to prepare something that will be easy for you to chew with the sutures in your cheek. You aren't due for more pain meds yet but if you need something, Bobby said you can take some Advil."

"I'm okay. I really want to take a shower and wash my hair but I'm still trying to figure out how I can do it without getting my stitches wet."

"That's why you're here, Babe. So I can help you. Come on."

Stephanie's face flushed to a bright red as she realized what he was offering. It wasn't like he had seen it before, but that was before she admitted to Morelli that she was in love with him. Why did that make her feel so awkward? Probably because she didn't know what he thought of her non-declaration. And why wasn't he bringing it up? Maybe he hadn't heard what Joe said. Maybe he didn't take her non-answer as an answer. And maybe she would sprout wings and finally get to fly.

He grabbed her hand and led her back into his bathroom. The glass and tile shower could easily accommodate two. There was a rainfall shower head, a handheld shower massager and several body jets built into the walls. Ranger adjusted the water temperature to just under scalding where she liked it. She untied the bathrobe and hung it up on the hook beside the door. Without looking at him, she eased the t-shirt over the bandage and up over her head. Then she slid off her panties and quickly stepped into the shower stall.

The controls had been adjusted so the water only flowed through the handheld unit. Ranger's arm reached over her to remove it from its holder and directed the water across her shoulders and back. Once he had her soaked down, he grabbed the washcloth and his Bulgari shower gel and gently began scrubbing her back. Once her back was sufficiently clean he moved down to her legs. Once again, he spent a considerable amount of time on each leg to make sure no spot went unwashed. The handheld was again retrieved from the holder and he rinsed off the delicious smelling bubbles.

Stephanie swallowed hard as Ranger slowly spun her around. After everything was properly wet down he grabbed the same cloth and shower gel and began the same gentle ministrations to her front. Stephanie just closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his touch while breathing in the steamy scent that filled the shower. Ranger was incredibly thorough and once again, no spot went unwashed.

After one last rinse with the handheld showerhead, he laid a towel down on the tile bench at the back side of the shower stall and told Steph to have a seat. With her head tipped back, Ranger was able to wash and condition her hair without getting her bandage wet. His strong hands were gentle as he massaged her scalp and rinsed first the shampoo and then the conditioner from her hair. Having Batman wash her hair was like a fantasy come true.

After her hair was clean he held up a fluffy white bath sheet to wrap around her body and used another towel to squeeze as much water from her hair as he could. Once dried off, he handed her a clean pair of panties and another t-shirt. Stephanie chuckled when she realized the panties had Rangeman stitched across the back. Ella did all of the embroidering for the Rangeman uniforms and sometimes got a little carried away. She pulled on the panties and the t-shirt before grabbing Ranger's bathrobe once more.

While she was getting dressed, Ranger slipped into the walk-in and grabbed a pair of sweatpants that sat low on his hips. Stephanie walked in as he was grabbing an identical t-shirt to the one she was wearing. She had kept her eyes shut all through the shower but now the sight of him shirtless was enough to make her ruin the panties she had just put on.

"See something you like?" he asked and gave her his wolf grin.

"I was just thinking, if this whole security/mercenary thing doesn't work out for you, you might be able to get a job at the shampoo station at the Clip 'n Curl. I know Grandma Mazur and her friends would love to get you alone in the back of the salon" she said with a mischievous grin.

Ranger growled as she giggled and headed back out into the kitchen. Bobby was waiting there with his med kit.

"Sorry I'm early, but one of the guys called out with the flu so I'm taking a patrol shift this evening to cover for him. How is your pain level?"

"The pain is tolerable right now. I just had a hot shower and that helped with some of the muscle pain."

"Good. If you can handle the discomfort with only Advil, I always advise doing so. I've seen too many soldiers become addicted to pain meds so I advise trying to use them as little as possible. On the other hand, you shouldn't suffer just to avoid taking them."

As he was speaking, Bobby was slowly peeling back the surgical tape holding the bandage in place on her face. Once the bandage was removed, Bobby spent a few minutes checking the stitches and making sure there was no sign of infection.

"Everything looks good. It's important to change the dressing twice a day and make sure there is no redness or discharge. If you notice any change in the way the wound feels, or if you develop a fever, you need to call me immediately, day or night. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

Bobby smiled at her sass while he spread antibiotic ointment on the fresh dressing. He laid it gently against her cheek and added strips of surgical tape to keep it in place.

"You're all set for tonight. I'll be back in the morning to check on you and change that dressing but remember what I said about calling me."

"Thanks, Bobby." she said as she got up and walked him to the door. As she opened the door to let him out Ella was getting off the elevator pushing a cart carrying their dinner.

"Perfect timing! How are you feeling, dear?" Ella asked as she slipped by with the cart. The delicious aroma of lasagna and garlic soon filled the air.

"I'm still sore, but the good food and rest are helping me. That smells wonderful."

"Ranger told me it may be painful for you to chew so I thought the lasagna would be easy to manage. I've also got soft bread sticks and a salad for Ranger. There is also a dish of homemade chocolate pudding in there for you." Ella knew a salad would be wasted on her, but never chocolate pudding.

"Ella, you are an angel among mortals. Thank you for everything." Stephanie gave her a quick hug as Ella headed back out of the apartment.

Ranger came into the kitchen as Stephanie finished setting the table. She had grabbed a couple bottles of water as Ranger started serving out the lasagna. Stephanie was used to Ranger's silence, so the lack of conversation through dinner was not uncomfortable. Even though she had slept for several hours that afternoon, she was already feeling exhausted again. The third time she clenched her teeth the keep from yawning Ranger suggested that she go to bed while he cleaned up the kitchen. She headed off to the bathroom to brush her teeth and use the facilities and then headed back to those incredible sheets. At some point in the night she awoke to feel Ranger's warm body pressed up against her back and his arm holding her against him. She felt warm and safe, and immediately fell back into a dreamless sleep.

Stephanie woke up as Ranger was walking out of the dressing room. He had obviously just come from the shower and the smell of Bulgari green was still strong. She could tell by the suit that he had a client meeting this morning. Corporate Ranger was almost as good as naked Ranger.

"I've made coffee and Ella brought up breakfast. I have meetings most of the day so I'll be out of the office. Let Tank or Bobby know if you need anything. What are your plans for the day?"

Stephanie considered his question for a minute. She obviously was not ready to go after skips but she was getting tired of lying around the apartment. She had been doing searches on a part time basis for Rangeman for a while now and still had her cube downstairs.

"I think I'll head down to 5 and start working on my backlog. I figure that way I can be productive but if it gets to be too much, I can head back up and take a nap."

"Sounds like a good plan, Babe. I'll see you for dinner."

He gave her a quick kiss on the top of her curls and headed out through the bedroom door. Stephanie sat in bed and stared after him. What the hell were they doing? What kind of domestic tranquility bullshit was this? When did she start playing house with Batman? Sure, she had holed up in his apartment before when she was in danger or homeless because of another firebomb, but this felt different. The threat had been neutralized the night of the attack and, as far as she knew, no one had burned up her apartment lately. So why was she still here? Or maybe, the question should be, why was she questioning it when she should be enjoying it. The questions were getting too deep considering she hadn't even had a cup of coffee so she decided to push the thoughts away and head for the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When she got down to 5 she was surprised to find there were only six new search requests in her inbox. She started the first search and headed to the break room to grab a water. Bobby had stopped by the apartment to change her dressing before she had come down and said she was healing well. Now she was impatient for the cut to be healed so she could see what kind of damage had been done. She hadn't dared look at yet, but the large bandage on the side of her face made her feel self-conscious as she moved around the floor. Everyone she met told her how happy they were to see her back on the floor and soon enough she felt more at ease.

By early afternoon she had completed the searches and was exhausted. Bobby had said this might happen as her body continued to heal, but that it shouldn't go on much longer. Stephanie locked up her desk and waved to the guys on the monitors as she headed to the elevators and back up to 7. She headed to the bedroom, kicked off her shoes and laid back on the bed in her thinking position. Before she knew it, Ranger was in the room waking her up to let her know Ella had brought dinner.

Once again, they sat down to a perfectly prepared Ella dinner. This time, it was grilled salmon, rice and steamed vegetables. While Stephanie's diet generally ran towards a more grease and salt laden menu, Ella made healthy food taste good, so it wasn't like it was a hardship to eat more healthy. After they finished, Ranger pulled out a small, silver domed tray and lifted the lid with a flourish. Underneath was a slice of coconut cream pie that looked divine. God bless Ella!

After the dinner dishes were loaded in the dishwasher and the kitchen cleaned Stephanie stood in the kitchen staring at the floor like she was trying to make up her mind about something.

"What is it, Babe?"

Ranger watched as she made her decision and her chin came up, almost definitely.

"I was wondering if you would like to join me in the shower again. It seems like I made you do all the work last time and I think it's only fair that I return the favor."

Her eyes suddenly dropped and then she added "Unless you don't want to. I know I look awful with this huge bandage on my face. Never mind, it was a bad idea."

Ranger didn't say a word. He walked over, picked her up bridal style and walked purposefully to the bathroom. Once there he started the shower and then slowly started to peel off his clothing one piece at a time. Stephanie stood mesmerized by the magnificent human being standing naked in front of her. Every inch of the man was perfection. As she continued to stare, he moved closer and started slowly removing the t-shirt and yoga pants she had put on after her nap. When she was as naked as he was he took her by the hand and led her into the shower.

They took turns with the washcloth and the shower gel until finally the cloth was forgotten and they just used their hands. Stephanie had learned a while ago that Ranger was magic in the bedroom, now she confirmed he was magic in the shower as well. Because of her bandage they limited their shower activities to anything that wouldn't get her face wet. Ranger did not have that limitation and Stephanie was very glad for that. When it became difficult to continue standing on her quivering legs Ranger shut the water off and wrapped her in a bath sheet before carrying her back to the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and began right where he had left off in the shower. After another Ranger induced orgasm, he started kissing and nibbling his way back up her body until he completely covered her. As he reached over to the night stand Stephanie shook her head.

"We're covered. I'm on the pill. I want to feel you - all of you."

With something between a growl and a moan Ranger drove himself into her warm, wet core. He stilled for a moment and then started moving inside her with agonizing slowness. Stephanie wrapped her legs around his hips and used her hands to encourage him to go faster and harder.

"Easy, Babe. You've got me feeling like a teenager and I want to make this last a little bit longer. Dios, you feel so good."

"To hell with slow, I want you, Carlos. I need you now. We can do slow next time."

Hearing her say his name was all it took. Suddenly he was driving into her as hard and as deeply as she had been urging him. It only took a few minutes before she was sent over the edge and took him with her.

When their heart rates returned to something below stroke level and breathing was no longer coming is short gasps, Ranger rolled over onto his back and pulled her on top of him. He wrapped the quilt up over her shoulders and they both lay lost in their thoughts.

As they lay entwined and relaxed, Stephanie started running her fingertips lightly across his incredible chest enjoying the feel of steel beneath his gorgeous skin. While she had always been responsive when they had been together, she didn't generally take the lead. He was enjoying letting her explore his body and wasn't about to do anything to discourage her when her hand started moving south. He knew she could feel his arousal as her fingertips continued to trace his abs. She shifted slightly to give herself better access to the part of his body that was now aching for her touch. He closed his eyes and focused on the featherlight strokes she was using across his body. She suddenly moved her hand down to his thigh and skipped completely over where he really wanted her touch. The same feather light caresses began to move up his thighs until she was closing in on ground zero once again.

As her hand finally closed around him he let out a groan of pure pleasure. She stretched up and began to kiss him almost languidly as her had continued to stroke him. When she pulled away from the kiss Ranger opened his eyes to see what she was planning to do next. He was mesmerized as she slowly rose up to straddle his hips before impaling herself on him. He reached up to cup her breasts as she leaned forward to put a hand on each side of his head. She bent down to give him another sensual kiss before whispering in his ear "This time, slowly."

The pattern for their days was set. Ranger would wake early and head for a run and hit the gym. Then he'd return to 7 to shower, dress for his day and wake Stephanie up with a cup of coffee in bed. Steph would crawl out of bed and into the shower until she was awake enough to take on her day. Once dressed, she would stop by the infirmary to have Bobby check and redress her wound, and then head to her cube to work on searches. They would meet back on 7 for dinner and the rest of the evening was spent enjoying each other. Some nights were playful, some nights were slow and sensual. It didn't matter, each night was magic as far as Stephanie was concerned. She had decided if she was going to play house with Batman, she was going to enjoy all the perks that came with it. She would deal with the consequences later.

When it was time for the bandages to come off and the sutures to be removed, Steph had no choice but to face her face. As she stared into the mirror Bobby was holding for her, she tried to control the quivering in her lip and the tears that were pooling in her eyes. She knew it would be bad at first and that it would lighten as time went by, but seeing herself for the first time was devastating. Ranger was with her and turned her to face him as soon as Bobby set the mirror down.

"Babe. You are not just a face. Your beauty comes from who you are, not what you look like. The scar will heal. If it still bothers you later, we'll see a plastic surgeon. It will be okay."

Hearing Ranger's reassurance was helping. Maybe there was a chance he would still be attracted to her even though she looked like the title character from Scarface. What she hadn't counted on was the badass rep it would give her when hunting down skips. The first timers were intimidated by her looks and the repeat offenders wanted to hear what happened. Whatever the reason, Steph cleaned up a pile of skips in almost no time flat and didn't explode one vehicle or roll in garbage once. It felt like life was looking up for Stephanie Plum.

And because she knew it couldn't last, it was not a huge surprise when the call came for Ranger to report for a new mission.

Steph entered the apartment on 7 a few minutes past five and was surprised to find Ranger in the dressing room packing.

"What's going on? Is there a problem at one of the other offices?" she asked. Rangeman had offices in Boston, Atlanta and Miami, in addition to the office in Trenton. Ranger had to travel to the other offices on occasion but hadn't left since Steph's attack.

"This isn't Rangeman business, it's government work. I've got to be wheels up by midnight."

Stephanie wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. They had never discussed what they felt for each other, or even where their domestic tranquility was going. They had just been living in the moment but now the moment was over.

"Okay. Um, is there anything you want me to do to help? I can help you pack or…" her voice trailed off because she didn't know what came after or.

"No, I've got what I need and I'm almost packed," he answered without ever turning around.

Stephanie just nodded her head numbly and grabbed for the large duffle she had left on the shelf after she unpacked the clothes she brought over from her apartment. Thankfully she had kept the lease on her apartment so she wasn't homeless now that Ranger was leaving. She started shoving her clothes into the bag as fast as she could. She wanted to get out of here with a little dignity and ugly crying while she was packing would not help her do that. Ranger heard her moving around the dressing room and glanced back.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting my things together. If it's okay with you, I'll get the rest tomorrow."

"I meant why are you packing?"

"Because you're leaving. I can't stay here while you're gone."

"Why not? You've done it before."

"That was different. I was in danger before and needed a safe place to stay. I'm not in danger and I have my own apartment. I have no reason to stay here. Look Ranger, I know you heard my conversation with Joe in the hospital. I am in love with you. I thought I could do the live in the moment thing with you and I did...and it was incredible. But now you are leaving and the moment is gone. I have no right to stay here. Hell, if you are killed, no one even has to tell me. You would just never come home and I'm left to wonder if you are dead or alive. I can't do that."

"Babe, this is why I don't do relationships. If I'm worried about you then I'm distracted. Distractions in my line of work can be deadly to me and my men. When I told you I love you in my own way, I meant in the only way I could, day to day. I never know if I'll have a future. No promises, no commitment, just live in the moment. If you can't accept that then there is nothing more for us to say."

Neither one moved as his words hung in the air. Then Ranger dropped his blank face into place and became businessman Ranger

"You can get your things whenever it is convenient. Keep the fob in case you need a safe place while I'm gone. Nothing else will change. You still have a job at Rangeman and access to all available resources as needed. Call Tank if you need anything."

With that, he grabbed his bag and left without a backward glance. Stephanie was grateful that he didn't look back. She didn't want him to see her cry.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Present _

He watched her through the front window as she finished closing up. She went back into the kitchen and Ranger saw her head for the back door with a bag of trash. He wondered if she would keep on walking after she went out the back. He was a little surprised when she returned. She gathered her coat and purse, said good night to the cook and made her way out the front door.

"How did you find me?" she asked.

Two weeks ago her name popped up at a local hospital. She received stitches for a work related injury. The medical report listed her place of employment as the diner but didn't include a home address. The irony of it was, he only found her because she had needed stitches again.

"Once I realized you were gone, I never stopped looking."

"Well now you've find me. I'm not fool enough to think it was anything more than your ego that made you keep looking. It must have really annoyed you that you were unable to find an untrained nobody like me. Congratulations. Now you can go back to the life you chose."

While her words told him she was angry, her face and tone were still blank. It was the same blank face he had hidden behind so many times when he was trying to control his emotions around her. Being on the receiving end was enlightening as well as infuriating.

"Babe. Is there somewhere we can go and talk? Can we go back to your place?"

"No. We have nothing to talk about. Besides, I have someone waiting for me at home and I need to go. Goodbye, Ranger."

With that, Stephanie headed down the sidewalk without a backwards glance. Ranger stood there for a moment watching her walk away. He told himself he only wanted to make sure she got home safely as he started following her at a distance. He smiled to himself as he watched her scanning around as she walked, aware of her surroundings like she had been trained.

He watched as she approached a small, well-tended home with a fenced in front garden. As she opened the front door, he noticed two mailboxes out front. The home must contain a small apartment. It was a far cry from the apartment she had in Trenton. This home looked welcoming and inviting. Unfortunately, that welcome did not extend to him. As he stood staring at the home he wondered about the lucky man who was waiting for Steph to come home to him.

As Ranger headed back to his hotel he contemplated his next move. Stephanie had made it very clear that she had moved on. If she had seemed happy, he may have been able to accept that. After all, he was the one who had screwed up so badly when he finally had his chance at 'someday' with his Babe. He had told her a relationship would be a distraction when he need to be focused on his mission. That he never knew if he would survive the mission to even have a future, so he lived in the moment. What he had come to realize during that mission was that he had been deluding himself. She wasn't a distraction, she was hope. She was a light at the end of the tunnel. She was a reason to fight harder to get home. A purpose for living. These were all the things he had planned on telling her when he returned home from his mission. But when he returned, she was gone. Now that he had found her again he realized he may have lost her completely.

The long night was just giving way to the light of morning when Ranger came to his decision. When he had left Steph's house and headed back to his hotel, he had no idea what his next move should be, so he let his training take over and started treating this as he would a mission. He had spent the entire night analyzing the intel he had gathered, plotting various scenarios, considering possible obstacles and making contingency plans. Steph would have thought it was hilarious in the past, but knowing she was the mission target probably wouldn't have been as amusing.

When he arrived at Stephanie's home mid-morning, there was an older woman in a large floppy hat and gardening gloves out in the front garden. She looked up as Ranger approached and contemplated him for a second before asking politely, "May I help you?"

"Good morning, ma'am. I'm looking for Stephanie Plum. Is she home?"

"May I ask your name and why you are looking for Stephanie?" she replied.

"My name is Carlos Manoso and I'm a friend of Stephanie's. I ran into her last night at the diner when she was working and wanted a chance to speak with her."

The woman removed her glove and extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Manoso. You have a certain look about you. Military Special Forces would be my guess. My son was an Army Ranger. I'd recognize the look anywhere. My name is Pamela Jacobs."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am. Now, is Stephanie home?"

"No, she isn't. But I will let her know you stopped by."

Ranger recognized that he was being dismissed but he wasn't going to let that deter him from his mission. He smiled politely and asked "Do you mind if I wait?"

"Actually, Mr. Manoso, I would mind. If Stephanie wishes to speak with you I'm sure she will be in touch. Perhaps you would like to leave me a number where she can reach you, if she chooses."

The message was coming through loud on clear. Mrs. Jacobs was obviously very protective of Steph. No surprise there. Stephanie's open heart had a way of drawing everyone to her and making them love her. There was no way this woman was going to let him near Stephanie without her approval. As Ranger and Mrs. Jacobs stood in a silent stand-off, a vehicle pulled into the small drive beside the house. They both turned toward the drive as Stephanie opened the driver's side door.

She didn't look at all surprised to see Ranger standing in front of her home. She gave the older woman a small, apologetic smile and said, "Thank you for letting me borrow your car. I hope he hasn't been bothering you."

"Not at all, dear. We've just been introducing ourselves. Do you need a hand with your purchases?"

Ranger immediately headed over to the vehicle to help her. As he got closer he realized Stephanie suddenly had a terrified look on her face. He instinctively looked around to see what was causing her so much fear but there was no one there. He realized he was causing that look of terror.

"Babe?"

"Ranger, please leave. I don't want you here. I don't need your help."

Ranger stood looking at her, willing her to change her mind.

"Please, just give me a few minutes. If nothing else, I owe you an apology. Please, Babe."

Before Stephanie could reply, a small whimper could be heard coming from the open driver's side door. The whimper quickly escalated into a full on wail of indignation at being strapped into a car seat of a car that was no longer moving. Stephanie hurried around to the rear passenger side door and detached the infant carrier that Ranger had not noticed before. So much for being aware of his surroundings.

As Stephanie rounded the back of the vehicle she refused to look in his direction. She opened the back hatch of the SUV and started pulling out bags of groceries. Without saying a word, Ranger walked over and took the groceries from her and closed the hatch.

"After you." he said with a dead calm that made lesser men piss their pants.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Mrs. Jacobs had been watching the exchange with concern. "Stephanie, dear. Are you ok? Are you sure?"

Stephanie walked over and gave her a quick, one armed hug and said, "It's ok. We'll be fine. Thank you, though."

Carrying the now quieted infant up the stairs still strapped in the carrier, Stephanie led the way into a cozy second floor apartment. She gestured toward the kitchen, indicating where Ranger should leave the bags while she worked on loosening the straps that were holding the baby. Once she had everything undone, she scooped her son out of his seat and held him protectively to her chest. Ranger noticed how she turned her body slightly, as though to put herself between him and his son. A mother lion protecting her cub.

"What's his name?"

"Ricardo Frances Plum, but I call him Ricky."

Ranger had slid his blank face into place as soon as he saw the infant carrier. At hearing his son's name, he closed his eyes and willed himself to stay calm. Losing control now would erase any chance he would ever have of regaining everything he'd lost.

"Why, Steph? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I had already left Trenton before I realized I was pregnant. I didn't know it at the time, but the antibiotics I took for the knife wound made my birth control pills useless. We basically had unprotected sex up until the day before you left."

"When you told me that a relationship with me was a distraction that could get you and your men killed, that we would never have anything more than a day to day existence, I knew there was nothing left for me in Trenton. I took a couple of the high bond skips from Connie and managed to bring them in on my own. I needed the money to support myself while I figured out what I was going to do."

"All of my years of tracking down skips had taught me how to find people, but it also taught me how not to be found. I cashed the bond checks and headed for the bus station. I bought a bus ticket to the West Coast and just started riding. On the second day, we pulled into town here and it just struck me. I grabbed my bag and got off the bus."

"It was mid-afternoon and I was hungry, so I headed into the diner to grab a bite and figure out where I was going to stay. I sat at the counter and Jimmie, the guy you saw in the kitchen, was running back and forth between the kitchen and the front. When he came to take my order I remarked that he looked like he could use some help and he said 'You're hired.' At first I thought he was joking, but then he came back with an apron and an order pad and told me if I wanted a job, it was mine. I told him I didn't really have waitressing experience and he said neither did he. So I hurried through my lunch, stuck my bag behind the counter and put on the apron."

"That night after close I asked Jimmie where I could find a cheap motel until I could find a place to live. He said he knew of a lady with a small upstairs apartment that might work for me. He called Pam and explained that I was fresh off the bus and had nowhere to stay and asked if the apartment was still available. She invited me to come see the apartment that night and I moved in on the spot. Apparently Jimmie was the only reference she needed."

"I was still trying to come to terms with everything when I realized I was pregnant. I knew I would never be able to terminate the pregnancy and there was no way I could give my child up for adoption, so really there was no choice but to start preparing myself to be a mother."

"It's surprising how easy it is to stay under the radar when you don't want to be found. I really didn't know if you would be looking for me, but suspected your need to control everything wouldn't let me go without some kind of response, even if you no longer wanted me in your life. All I kept thinking was that if I was a distraction, think how distracting a child would be! There was no way I wanted my son to ever feel like he wasn't completely and totally loved and wanted. Or have his love rejected. So I continued to live under the radar. Jimmie pays me in cash. I pay Pam in cash and all the utilities are in her name. Even the hospital where Ricky was born accepted cash payments since I wasn't insured."

"I don't know what you expected to find but there you go. So now, you can leave. There is nothing here for you. I don't want your money, I don't want you in our lives, I don't want anything from you. Ricky is my son, and I will protect him with every cell in my body. I won't let you hurt him the way you hurt me."

As Stephanie was telling her story, Ranger was staring at her and the child in her arms. He was amazed that someone who so adamantly rejected the idea of children could look so completely natural holding her child, no, their child. He had black silky hair with a hint of the curls that were to come. His skin tone was lighter than mocha latte but not as fair as his mother. He wouldn't burn as easily as she did when he was old enough to go to the beach. Of course, the nearest ocean was 1500 miles away, so that may not be an immediate concern. Ranger realized he was already starting to imagine their lives together but the reality of the situation struck him full in the face. He thought he had lost his world when she left. Now he understood he had so much more to lose if he didn't make this right.

"Steph, I didn't expect anything from you when I found you. And it wasn't ego or my need for control that kept me searching for you. While I was on my last mission I had a lot of time to think about what you said and what I had told you. I realized I was lying to myself before. You don't distract me. You ground me. If anything is going to get me or my men killed, it is my stupidity for not realizing that you gave me a reason to fight, to want to survive the mission. You were my reason to live, and still are. I came to tell you I'm sorry. To beg for your forgiveness. To find out what I can do to make you love me again. Stephanie, Babe, I love you. I have for a very long time, but you knew that. But I'm also in love with you. You are the candle in my darkness. Please say you will forgive me."

"I'm not asking for anything more than forgiveness from you. I know I ruined my chance for someday. But knowing we've made a child together, I can't just walk away now. I missed so much of Julie's life because I felt like I didn't deserve to be a part of it. I won't make that same mistake with Ricky. I am not going to force myself into your life, but we do need to figure this out."

For the first time in a long time, Stephanie was speechless. Not only had the mighty Ranger Manoso apologized, but he begged for her forgiveness. What kind of alternate universe had she fallen into? And then she realized how much she had matured in the past year. The old Stephanie would have been yelling and cursing up a storm, telling Ranger where to go and what to do with himself when he got there. The new Stephanie realized that it was no longer about her. She had a son who deserved to know his father, even if it was from a distance.

There was no way she was returning to Trenton. Since she had been gone, she had maintained sporadic contact with her family, although never telling them where she was or about her son. Only enough so they would know she was okay. Honestly, her mother was probably relieved to have the phone stop ringing off the hook with details of Steph's latest car explosion or dumpster dive. Grandma Mazur probably missed her the most, but she kept busy with her own adventures and was making the most of her golden years.

"I need some time to process everything you've said, Ranger. I never expected to see you again and I certainly didn't expect you to show up to apologize. I won't try to keep you from Ricky, but I'm not returning to Trenton. It will be something we have to figure out. But know this, if you ever make my son feel like he is anything but loved, I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands. That is a promise."

Ranger's lips tilted up slightly at her threat. He had no doubt in his mind that she would carry through with it but he had no intention of ever finding out. She was giving him an opportunity to remain a part of her life and he was not going to make the same mistake twice.

"Understood. Now, may I hold my son?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Later that night as Ranger settled into his bed he heard his cell. Grabbing it off the nightstand, he was surprised to see a text from an unknown number. All it said was "Thank you". Ranger smiled slightly and texted back "Babe?" "For apologizing. Thank you." For the first time in what felt like forever, Ranger fell asleep with a smile on his face.

The next morning Ranger texted Stephanie to see if she and Ricky would like to spend the day together. Steph replied that she had to work at 11, but, if he wanted to come over, he could join them for a walk around town before she had to leave. When Ranger pulled up in front of the house a short time later, Mrs. Jacobs was once again out working in her garden.

"Good morning, Mr. Manoso. What brings you back so soon?"

"Good morning Mrs. Jacobs. Stephanie invited me over. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"One moment Mr. Manoso. When I saw you yesterday I knew you had to be little Ricky's father. I don't know what happened between you and Stephanie before she left New Jersey but I do know what that girl has gone through since. She is like a daughter to me, and that baby is like my own grandchild. If you do anything to hurt either of them, I will bury you in this garden and plant daisies on your chest. Do I make myself clear, Mr. Manoso?"

Ranger was wondering what had happened that he no longer inspired terror in those around him. When had he lost his edge? He maintained an appropriately somber expression when he answered the diminutive woman.

"Very clear, Mrs. Jacobs. I promise you I will never again bring pain to Stephanie or to Ricky as long as I live."

With that, he made his way across the porch, in through the door and up the stairs to Steph's apartment. He rapped his knuckles on the doorframe, thinking back on how he used to just walk into her apartment in Trenton. He heard her yell, "Come in, it's unlocked" and wondered when she became so lax about security. As soon as he entered that thought went completely out of his head as he took in the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life.

Seated in a comfortable looking rocking chair, Stephanie was nursing their son. The emotions this stirred in him were almost overwhelming. Stephanie misinterpreted his reaction and gave a small chuckle.

"I never would have thought the mighty Ranger Manoso would be embarrassed by something as natural as breastfeeding. Ricky is going through a growth spurt and needs to eat more often, so I'm running a little late. We'll be done soon. Make yourself comfortable."

Ranger sat down on the couch and continued to watch the mother of his child and his son as they stared into each other's eyes. It was like they were communicating telepathically, probably wondering what to do with the jerk on the couch.

When their son was finished, Steph buttoned up her top and looked over at Ranger.

"I was going to put Ricky in the stroller and walk for a bit but I think I'll use the body carrier instead. That way he can look around more. Let me just grab that and his hat and we can head out."

Once she had him strapped on to her front with a big floppy hat to keep the sun off, they set off in no particular direction. At first the silence was uncomfortable, neither knowing what to say to the other. Finally Ranger asked about Mrs. Jacobs.

"Pam has been an absolute God send. First she gave me a place to live and then, when I found out I was pregnant, was incredibly supportive. She gave me advice on dealing with morning sickness and helped me find an OB who would work on a cash basis. She even drove me to appointments when the weather was too bad to walk and then later on, when I was too big to walk. She and Jimmie came to see me after he was born and brought us home from the hospital. I don't think I could have done it without her. She is retired, so she watches Ricky when I work. She is like his grandmother. She is the sweetest, kindest person I have ever met in my life."

Ranger chuckled softly. "That sweet person threatened to bury me in her garden and plant daisies on my chest if I cause you any pain."

Stephanie laughed and said "That doesn't surprise me. She is also tough as nails. Her life has not been easy. Her husband passed away unexpectedly about ten years ago. Her only child was a son who went MIA during a military mission at the beginning of the war on terrorism. He was an Army Ranger as well. She knows in her heart that he is dead, but without knowing for sure the hope is always there. Now that I have my own child, I can't imagine how painful that is."

"What was her son's name?"

"Samuel Jacobs. He disappeared in 2002 I believe. It was shortly after the 9/11 attacks."

They continued to walk and Stephanie started pointing at and naming things for Ricky. She showed him a tree, and a car, and a doggy and anything else that caught his eye. When she ran out of things to name, Stephanie asked about her friends at Rangeman and Ranger gave her a quick rundown of what had been happening since she had been gone. He was surprised to realize that he knew very little of what was happening in their lives outside of work. Stephanie was always the one who asked them about their girlfriends and families. Ranger was their boss. He had never realized how much she made them a family.

As they made their way back to the house Ranger suddenly grew quiet.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Tank called this morning and I have to fly to Miami to deal with some issues we've been having down there. I'm not sure how long it will take, but it shouldn't be more than a week or two. I'd like to come back and spend some more time with you and Ricky once I've got that taken care of if that is okay with you."

Stephanie wasn't sure how to respond. As she lay in bed last night thinking about everything he had said, she realized that she was still in love with him. She had buried those feelings as deeply as she could when he left but all he had to do was walk into the diner and they came flooding back. At the same time, she owed it to her son to give him the opportunity to know his father. It was going to be difficult to push down her own feelings to allow Ranger the access their son deserved. Once again, it struck her how much she had grown up in the last year. Then she realized that Ranger had just asked for her permission to return instead of just telling her he would be back. Maybe he had done some emotional growing was well.

"I guess I would be okay with that." she responded quietly.

They had just reached the front gate when Ranger suddenly asked "Why did you choose to name him Ricardo?"

Stephanie turned to look into his face as she replied "I named him after the two men who have supported me the most in my life, you and my father. I chose Ricardo because it hurt too much to call him Carlos."

Ranger was silent as he reached forward to lift Ricky from the carrier so Stephanie could easily remove the harness. As he held his son he whispered "Te quiero, hijo mio. Tú y tu madre sois mi mundo, ahora y para siempre." (I love you, my son. You and your mother are my world, now and forever.)

"What did you tell him?"

"I was telling him how much he means to me."

Stephanie suspected there was a bit more to what he said. She didn't speak Spanish, but she had recognized 'madre,' and knew he had said something about mother. She decided it might be a good idea to start learning Spanish so she could understand what he and his father were saying to each other as Ricky got older.

"Well, thanks for the company this morning. I've got to feed him and then get to work." Ranger handed their son back to his mother and stepped back to hold the gate open for her. As Stephanie went to walk past him he stopped her with a gentle touch to her arm. She looked at him quizzically and he slowly bent forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." he said quietly.

"For what?"

"For you. For him. For this morning. For everything."

Stephanie didn't know how to respond. She gave him a hesitant smile before turning and heading into the yard. As she entered the house and headed up to her apartment she smiled to herself and thought about what a wonderful morning it had been.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next week flew by in a flurry of day to day activities for Steph. She and Ricky loved to get out and enjoy the sunshine in the morning before she headed to the diner for her afternoon and evening shift. Pam never said anything about Ranger or the chat she had with him. Stephanie laughed every time she tried to picture the look on Ranger's face as this tiny retired schoolteacher threatened his life.

Ranger had called or texted with her every day since he left. Not only did he ask about their son but he asked about Stephanie. Even stranger, he shared parts of his day with her. While she wasn't ready to jump back into a relationship with Ranger, she had to admit that it felt good. She looked forward to his call in the evenings. She thought it was hilarious when Pam brought up the huge bouquet of daisies the florist had delivered. The card simply said "Babe." Pam just smiled and mentioned daisies were one of her favorite flowers.

Eight days after he had left, Ranger texted that he had finished up in Miami and was flying in that afternoon to visit for a few days before he headed back to Trenton. Stephanie was more than a little annoyed with herself for how excited she was to see him. Ranger was coming to spend time with his son and she needed to remember that. As far as she was concerned, she and Ranger were co-parenting and that was all. He had told her he only wanted her forgiveness. He never said he wanted to see if they could try again. Ranger's life didn't lend itself to relationships, they had proven that. So then what the hell was he doing with the phone calls and flowers?

Stephanie sighed in frustration as she moved around the apartment straightening up. She would have loved to take Ricky and go for a nice long walk to release some of her pent up nervous energy, but it had been raining all morning and it didn't show signs of stopping anytime soon. Ricky was down for a nap and there was nothing left to straighten in their small apartment. Not sure what else to do with herself while she waited for Ricky to wake up, Stephanie took the frozen cookie dough out of the freezer and decided a rainy day needed fresh, warm cookies. As she was cutting off slices of dough and laying them on the cookie sheet, she wondered if she should invite Ranger to dinner. She had never done the domestic goddess thing for him when they were together before. They had Ella to cook for them and Stephanie's kitchen disasters were legendary. It might be fun to show Ranger how far she had come in the last year and a half.

Before she could chicken out, she sent him a text and asked if he would like to come to her apartment for dinner that evening. His quick, affirmative response almost caused a panic attack. What was wrong with her? It was only dinner. She cooked dinner all the time, sort of. Stephanie sat down to make a grocery list so she and Ricky could go shopping when he woke up. Knowing that he liked simple, whole foods, Stephanie decided to make baked chicken breast, salad and wild rice pilaf. She would grab a loaf of artisan bread in the deli and maybe even a slice of cheesecake for dessert. Ranger wouldn't eat it but that didn't mean she should be deprived.

At quarter of six Ricky was sitting in his swing carrying on a lively conversation in his own language as Stephanie moved around the kitchen preparing dinner. The quiet knock on the door caused him to pause in his monologue and Stephanie said without thinking "Daddy's here." As soon as she said it, she was overcome by a wave of emotion she didn't want to name.

Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Stephanie opened the door with what she hoped was a normal expression on her face. When she looked at the Cuban sex god standing in front of her, she gave up all hope of a normal expression and just prayed the drool wasn't running down her chin. Ranger stood in front of her in a black cashmere sweater than clung to his muscles like a second skin. His black dress slacks hugged his legs in all the right places and where creased to perfection. His dark silky hair was pulled back with a leather tie and diamond studs sparkled in each earlobe. He smiled at her with his megawatt smile and offered her a mixed bouquet of blue and white flowers.

"These are the flowers I would have given you when our son was born. Sorry they're late, but I hope you enjoy them. I also brought wine. I wasn't sure what you were making, so I brought a couple to choose from." he said holding up a bag with six bottles of wine.

Stephanie laughed as she looked in the bag at the wine choices. His selection included something for almost any meal. She pointed to the chardonnay and realized it was already chilled. She handed him the corkscrew and asked him to open the wine while she put the flowers in a vase. As soon as the cork was out of the wine, Ranger set it aside and went to say hi to Ricky. Stephanie watched in amazement as Ranger casually dropped down on the floor to sit eye level with their son and started speaking to him in Spanish. She couldn't understand what Ranger was saying, but then neither of them had any idea what Ricky was saying either.

As Stephanie started pulling out dishes to set the table Ranger stood up to help.

"I'm fine. You and Ricky continue with your deep discussion while I get things on the table."

Without any conscious thought, dinner was on the table at exactly six o'clock. Helen Plum would have been so proud! Since Stephanie had already fed Ricky before Ranger arrived she decided to leave him in his swing and just move him closer to the table so they could all be together. Ranger poured them both a glass of wine and raised his glass.

"Salud." he said as they gently clinked their glasses.

Ricky kept a running dialogue going through most of the meal. Ranger and Stephanie laughed at how adorable he was as he babbled on. Stephanie commented that he probably got the gift of gab from her and Ranger laughingly agreed.

After they finished dinner, Ranger cleaned up the kitchen while Stephanie went to give Ricky his bath and get him ready for bed. Once he was done, Ranger went in search of his son to say goodnight. He found Stephanie and Ricky snuggled up in the same rocking chair reading Goodnight Moon. When the bedtime story was done, they took the sleepy baby into his room and laid him in his crib. Stephanie bent over to give him a kiss goodnight, whispered her love for her precious little boy and then stepped aside to give Ranger the opportunity to do the same. She glanced over at Ranger and was shocked to see the depth of emotion on his face. His eyes never left his son as he bent over and whispered "Te amo, hijo precioso" (I love you, precious son) before giving him a soft kiss on the cheek.

When they had made their way back out to the living room Stephanie suddenly felt unsure. She wondered if he would be leaving now that the reason he came over was now in bed. Ranger walked into the kitchen and returned with their wine glasses and the bottle of wine they had started with dinner. He refilled Stephanie's empty glass and handed it to her. Stephanie noticed his was still half full. She took a nervous gulp of wine and decided to sit in the chair opposite his seat on the couch. She wasn't sure she would be able to focus sitting beside him on the couch. Or if she would be able to keep her hands off his broad, cashmere coated chest. It had been a long time since she had experienced a social orgasm and she knew that a Ranger induced orgasm was the mother of all social orgasms. Definitely should not be thinking about Ranger induced orgasms she thought, and downed the rest of her wine.

"Babe, you look like you're going a little crazy over there. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she replied, sounding a bit hysterical even to herself. Come on, get a grip Stephanie she thought to herself. He's just a man. A really freaking hot man, but still just a man. Stephanie took a deep breath and realized her wine glass had been refilled. Considering her low tolerance for alcohol, she decided she should set the glass down before she found it empty again. After setting her glass down on the coffee table between them, she refocused her attention on Ranger.

Ranger had been watching her the entire time and, although he had no idea what was going through her mind, recognized that whatever it had been was now resolved in her mind and she was ready to talk. He had spent a great deal of time thinking about everything while they had been apart and was hoping they could start working on rebuilding their relationship. He kicked himself for his cowardice before and he wasn't going to make the same mistake again. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he was willing to take as much time as Steph needed in order to win her back.

"I spoke with some people I know at the Pentagon about Mrs. Jacobs's son. When do you think would be a good time to let her know what I learned?"

"Ranger, did you find out what happened to him? Pam should be home now. We can use the monitor to listen to Ricky and go down and speak with her right now. If you have some answers for her, I don't want to keep her waiting even a second longer."

Steph grabbed the portable monitor and they headed down the stairs. She knocked lightly on Pam's door and it was opened almost immediately.

"Good evening, dear. Mr. Manoso. What can I do for you both?"

"Hi Pam. Sorry to bother you but Ranger spoke to some people he knows at the Pentagon and wanted to tell you what he found out about Sam."

Pam's face paled and she reached out to support herself against the door frame.

"Mrs. Jacobs, are you okay?" Ranger asked as he reached out to support her.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting to hear his name. It's been almost seventeen years but it still hasn't gotten any easier."

"Please, both of you, come in. May I offer you a cup of tea?"

Both declined and they all sat around the dining room table with the monitor sitting on the sideboard nearby.

"Mrs. Jacobs, I regret to inform you that your son, Captain Samuel Jacobs was killed in action on 18 November 2002. Please accept my deepest sympathies on the loss of your son."

As he said the words, Pam started sobbing and Stephanie rose to wrap her arms around her shoulders. Ranger went into the living room to grab a box of tissues and set them on the table near Mrs. Jacobs. Stephanie continued to comfort her until Pam was able to speak again.

"Do you know what happened?" she asked tearfully.

"Captain Jacobs was leading a mission to locate and neutralize a terrorist cell that was planning another attack against the United States. His mission was a black ops mission, disavowed by the government. Much of his mission is still classified and I was unable to find anything in the official channels. I reached out to a fellow Ranger who I knew was doing black ops missions post 9/11. He not only knew Captain Jacobs, he was part of the team on that mission. According to my source, their intel was sketchy and the bad guys were better equipped than they had been told. As the team pushed forward, they were able to take out the terrorists a few at a time, but they were coming under heavy fire. As they made one final push toward the center of the stronghold, one of the terrorists lobbed a grenade out the window. Captain Jacobs yelled for his men to cover and threw himself on the grenade, saving the entire team. He was killed instantly. The team was able to neutralize the terrorist cell. Mrs. Jacobs, your son not only saved the lives of the fourteen men on his team, he also helped saved thousands of lives by eliminating this terrorist threat. Again, I am very sorry for your loss, but know a grateful nation thanks you for your sacrifice."

Pam continued to cry quietly as Ranger relayed the circumstances around her son's death. Stephanie cried with her as she sat listening. Now that she was a mother, she couldn't fathom losing her son, and her heart ached for her friend.

They all sat silently for several minutes after Ranger finished. Then Pam reached across the table and took both of Ranger's hands in hers.

"Thank you for bringing me closure. I've known in my heart he was gone, but without ever knowing for sure, my heart couldn't begin healing. Knowing my son died protecting his men comes as no surprise to me. He was a good man. And so are you."

"Now, please don't think me rude, but I would rather be alone with my thoughts right now."

"Of course. Please call me if you need anything," Stephanie said as she grabbed the monitor and moved toward the door with Ranger.

When they were back in her apartment, Stephanie excused herself to the bathroom to wash her face and freshen up after her crying jag. When she returned, Ranger was standing to the side gazing out the window.

Stephanie walked up behind him, slipped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his back.

"Thank you for that. I pray I never have to live with the hell she went through of not only losing her child, but not knowing what happened."

Ranger laid his arms over hers and enjoyed the feel of her body up against his. Slowly he turned to face her and wrapped his arms around her. He slowly lowered his mouth towards her, giving her every opportunity to move away or tell him no. When she didn't, his lips brushed against hers, gently at first and then with more urgency. He teased her lips until they parted and deepened the kiss even further. When they finally broke apart, it was only to catch their breath for a moment before moving back together in another kiss.

Unable to control herself, Stephanie melted against his body. It had been far too long since she had felt like this and she didn't want it to stop. Slowly, her muddled senses told her something had changed and she realized she was being carried over to the couch. Ranger settled her onto his lap without ever lifting his lips from hers. She pulled the leather tie from his hair and grabbed fistfuls in each hand as she tried to pull him closer.

As his hand was sliding up under her shirt, a faint whimpering started coming from the monitor that was sitting on the coffee table. The whimpers turned into a full blown cry and broke through Stephanie's sex starved brain. Before she could get up, Ranger set her aside on the couch with a quick kiss and said "I'll check on him, Babe." She could hear Ranger's soft voice soothing her son through the monitor. Suddenly, she realized he was singing what sounded like a Spanish lullaby. Batman can sing, too? Ugh, what can't that man do? Well, besides relationships.

Stephanie had her hormones back under control by the time Ranger returned to the living room. She couldn't believe how close she had come to falling right back into bed with him. The definition of insanity jumped into her mind - repeating the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Nothing had changed between them, only that she had more at stake now than just her own heart.

As soon as Ranger came back into the living room he sensed the change in Steph. She was standing with her arms crossed in front of her, staring at the floor and chewing on her bottom lip.

"No." he said, more forcefully than he intended.

Her head snapped up and she asked, "What do you mean, no?"

"I can see you running already. Instead of remembering what I told you when I found you, your mind is already building a case against me with every screwed up thing I said from before. I love you, Stephanie. I loved you before you were the mother of my child and I will love you until my dying breath. Give us the chance to make our 'someday' a 'forever'. Give us a chance to be a family. However you want. If you want to be married, we can be married tomorrow...or ten years from now. If you never want to marry that's fine, too. I don't need a piece of paper to prove to the world that we are a family. Please, Babe."

Stephanie could only stare at him in shock as his words registered in her brain. Ranger was finally willing to make a commitment to her, but was that what she wanted? As soon as the thought was there, it was gone. It was what she had wanted since the day she realized she was in love with Batman. Really, all that was left was to iron out the details.

Ranger watched her as she made up her mind. The corners of his mouth twitched as he watched her mentally steel herself for what she was about to say. Her arms dropped to her sides, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin.

"Okay, Carlos. I accept your offer of 'someday' and 'forever'. I left because I loved you too much to stay. Now I'm seeing that you love me too much to let me leave. We are truly a screwed up pair, but we definitely make a hell of a cute kid, so we can't be all that bad."

"Babe." and that was all she needed to hear before she melted into his embrace.


End file.
